Opening ceremony for tribute to legendary BPW Hoosiers at Letty Walter Park

Oct. 29—FLOYD COUNTY — The BPW Hoosiers Field of Memories at Letty Walter Park is ready for play.

Floyd Knobs Parks and Recreation Department held an opening ceremony Friday for the facility.

The Field of Memories is a decorative field dedicated to the BPW Hoosiers Softball team, one of the first women's softball teams in Southern Indiana in the 1950s. The team was coached by Letty Walter and has been a second family to her throughout the years.

"During the 1950s girls didn't have a lot of options in the world of athletics," said Scott Klink, Floyd County Parks Board president. "There were no organized school teams, no scholarships for female athletes, Title Nine, which prohibits gender discrimination against students, was decades from being passed."

None of those barriers stopped Walter from organizing the team for the girls in her community. During that time, she was on the board for the parks department and used that position to recruit girls for the team.

In the beginning, Walter said she had a team formed in each park and and the teams played against one another. But the girls got tired of playing each other over and over.

What Walter did to get the girls to play different teams was to create an all-star team for them, but she then had to find a sponsor.

Walter belonged to the Business and Professional Women's Club.

"After talking to the BPW and begging and begging, they agreed to sponsor us," Walter said. "What they would do is pay for the insurance every year and they would pay for our entry fees."

That was the beginning for the team, and with that sponsorship, the team did many things.

When playing against Charlestown, the team found out about the Leagues of Louisville and played in world tournaments. But, they needed money to play in these world tournaments, Walter explained.

"The girls raised all the money themselves," Walter said. "They washed so many cars, we had chili suppers, we did everything to raise money to have our uniforms and to go on these trips."

With all the effort Walter and her team put into the sport, they ended up placing fourth in the world in 1964 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Walter became a mentor for the girls on the team although many members would say she was a second mom to them.

"I started playing for Letty when I was 14, and what a mentor she was," said Carol Newman. "It was just an honor to play for Letty and the girls. We grew up together and we still are together."

Newman said she and her teammates would not be the women they are without Walter.

"Letty took us girls and made us women," Newman said. "She was always there for us. We have great love for one another and for Letty,"

The team members still meet twice a year to catch up with one another and keep in contact.

The Field of Memories brought tears of happiness to Newman, along with all the good memories she made with Walter and the team.

Some members have passed away, but were with the team in spirit, said Newman, who is certain that the members who have died are looking down at the field fondly.

"Walter has always wanted children to have something in the parks," Newman said. "She wanted the children to come out to play."

The coach always fought for what she believed in, she always did what she thought was right, said Bob Lane, Floyd County Parks superintendent.

"Letty has been a lot of things to a lot of people," said Lane. "... a uniter where she's had youth of a lot of different economic levels and races that would do things together and be very successful."

The field is important to Walter because of the kids and the help that the parks department gives to them. It also shows how important parks are to a community.

"It's something different in the park and it's a reason you can come out here on a beautiful day," Walter said. "You're around beauty and it could be almost like a spiritual event for you, or you can bring your kids out here and they can see the big softball."

"We've stuck together through marriages, divorces, childbirth and unfortunately, death," Walter said. "I just wanted to do something in their memory and this field was perfect."